


First Meeting

by Marf_Redux



Series: Tim's Choice [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batman is being an ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 20:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18668239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marf_Redux/pseuds/Marf_Redux
Summary: Just over two weeks since Tim killed the Joker, Oracle finds him.





	First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> First comments are screened and will never be read so please don't leave any. I have my reasons for this and they are in my profile if you simply must know why. I tell you this so you will be forewarned that if you leave a comment it will never be read or replied to.

First Meeting

She watched as the safe house door opened and Tim walked in and gave her a nod of acknowledgment as he headed into another room. She had examined his security system while waiting for him to return so his being aware of her was not as a surprise. The fact the building was actually wheelchair accessible and not just doing the bare minimum to comply with the law had been a pleasant surprise. She took it as a sign that Tim hadn’t been trying to keep her away. He walked back in the room after a moment and sat down in the nearest chair. “Were you hiding or was it Bruce making it so hard to find you?” She figured it would be best to get the hard question out of the way. It had taken her nearly two weeks to locate him but once she did it was almost too easy to get here and get in.

“He wanted to make sure I knew all the terms for him not dumping me in front of the Gotham Police with a note saying I killed the Joker.” She had suspected it but she’d hoped she’d been wrong. Bruce could be vindictive and she’d wanted to hear Tim’s side of things before Bruce got to him and possibly made an already delicate situation worse. She knew Dick had been hanging close to the manor hoping to help Alfred keep Bruce from losing it over this. 

“So what are the terms?” She was curious herself what Bruce asked instead of turning Tim in. She knew he’d made some rumblings of doing that no matter what Tim knew but those had faded after it became clear Gotham was celebrating the Joker’s death. There was a very real possibility that even if they turned Tim in that he wouldn’t even be charged because no jury would convict him. She privately didn’t blame Gotham seeing that monster finally in the ground was satisfying in so many ways. She just dreaded the after effects on Bruce, Dick and Tim himself. She figured Jason would privately be celebrating and she was sure Damian didn’t really understand the Joker and what him being gone meant.

“First I have to stop being Red Robin for good,” Tim said with a frown. “If he sees me out in costume anywhere ever again straight to jail.” That was unexpected considering he let Jason run around as Red hood freely now that he’d stopped killing. “Second, I have to apply to void the adoption since it’ll cause a bigger stink if he does it.” She found herself staring at him in shock after that. “And finally I’m to stay away from Gotham and all of you,” He closed his eyes then, “I am no longer welcome in his family or his city.” He laughed then, “I can’t stop you all from coming to visit but I’m under orders to tell you to leave and that I won’t be contacting you again.”

“That’s taking things too far,” She said staring at him. “It isn’t fair that he is holding you to these standards while letting Jason run around the docks or even letting Damian still be Robin.” She would never have expected Bruce to go this far to be angry and disappointed that one of them had killed maybe even blame himself for failing to lead them better but not this. 

“It’s okay Barbara, I expected this,” Tim said after a moment. “I knew he’d react like this because there’s no scapegoat he can blame like the pit in Jason’s case or Ra’s upbringing in Damian’s.” He looked her straight in the eye. “He knows I chose to kill the Joker of my own free will, that I don’t regret it and I’d do it again even knowing the cost.” 

“Why did you do it?” She asked after a moment. “I know the reason everyone thinks is because of what you saw in that future but was it the only reason?” While searching she’d thought up several ways to prevent whatever tragedy he had seen that made him think it would be necessary. 

“It was the start of it,” Tim said after a moment. “I would never have done it if it wasn’t for what I saw,” he shuddered visibly and she wondered again exactly how bad it had been. “But I’ve thought he needed to die for a long time and that the world would be better off without him.” He seemed oddly pensive as he went on. “I privately wished some times Jason would act on his many threats to do so but I always understood why he backed down.” She understood as well as angry as Jason had been he’d deep down wanted his family back and that meant eventually playing by Bruce’s rules. “But even with what I saw a few weeks ago I wasn’t going to do it at first.” He seemed lost in thought, “But then I thought long and hard and looked up some things that made it even more clear that he needed to be in the ground.”

She was just about to ask him to clarify what he meant when her com link beeped at her with the tone for a priority alert so she switched it on watching a knowing look cross Tim’s face. “Oracle leave there immediately,” Batman’s voice said darkly. She was absolutely floored that he’d use the emergency line for this. “Tell the murderer if you aren’t out the door in ten minutes our deal is off.” 

“You’d best be going then,” Tim said apparently able to guess what was being said. “I’m sure most of Gotham would love to throw me a parade but I’d rather not put the few honest officials in a tough spot.” 

She keyed the com line back to Batman and said loudly so both of them would hear. “This isn’t over Tim and this won’t be the last time you see me.” She then added for good measure, “And B we are going to talk about this with everyone when I get back to Gotham.” It he wanted to cut all ties with Tim that was his choice but she wasn’t going to allow him to dictate who she talked to. As she wheeled herself to the door she glanced back at time. “This isn’t over we will talk again soon.” There was a lot more she wanted to ask him but she’d have to deal with Bruce first.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading once again I do not read or reply to comments so please don't leave any. Kudos are appreciated and thank you in advance to anyone who leaves them.


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